Cattle-tag.



No. 670,099. Patented mar. |9,'|9o|.

A. F. CALLISDN & W. S. BING.

cATTLE TAG.

(Application Bled Nov. 10, 1900 (No Modal.)

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Unirrnn Sterns ABNER F. CALLISON AND VILLIAM S. BING, OF SALT LAKE CITY,UTAH.

CATTLE-TAG.

SPECZFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,099, dated March19, 1901. Application filed November lO, 1900. Serial No. 86,'090. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may oon/cern:

Be it known that we, Annan F. CALLIsoN and VILLIAM S. BING, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of SaltLake and State of Utah, have invented a new and useful Cattle-Tag, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates to a novel cattle-tag oridentifying-marker of that class which are attached to the ear of ananimal and bear identifying characters-such, for instance, as the nameof the owner of the cattle or his private brand. These ear-tags havebeen constructed in many different forms and various ways oi' applyingthem have been devised; but ordinarily the attachment of the tag to theear is an exceedingly painful operation, due in great measure to thelack of provision for the escape of such exudaiions as necessarilyaccumulate in the wound. Furthermore, tags of the particular class towhich the present invention belongs have usually been hung in theanimals ear upon a rivet or bolt passed through the ear and connectingthe ends of the U-shaped tag, and whenever the tag has been affixed byan integral prong the tendency has been to clamp the opposite sideportions of the tag against the ear with such force as to interfere withthe proper circulation and to set up more or less irritation.

Having these facts in mind, one object of the invention is to provide asimple and inexpensive tag designed to be stamped from a single piece ofmetal and comprising a U- shaped body portion having a securing-prong atone end and an opening at the other end designed for the reception ofthe prong, the end of which is upset to secure the tag in place.

A further object of the invention is to provide the securing-prong witha thin cutting or penetrating end, at the base of which are formed apair of shoulders, which limit the movement of the sides of the tag toprevent the pinching of the ear and which are formed by imparting atransverse curvature to the prong proper, which curvature produces achannel alined with the opening in the end of the tag and designed topermit the exudations from the Wound to escape.

To the accomplishment of these objects the invention consists in theconstruction and arrangement of the tag, to be hereinafterdescribed,illustrated in the accom panyingdrawings, and defined in theappended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a general view illustrating theapplication of our tag tothe ear of an animal. Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of the tag in position in an afiXing-tool 6o and ready to beapplied to the ear. Fig. Sis a similar View showing the tag attached tothe ear and the cutting edge upset. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thetag on a somewhatenlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the 65 tagin its applied position. Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of the oppositesides of the tag applied, and Fig. 8 is a view of the blank from whichthe tag is made.

Referring to the numerals employed to des- 7o yignate correspondingparts in the several views, l indicates the ear of an animal to whichthe tag2 is designed to be affixed. The tag is preferably struck from asingle piece of metal and is formed at one end with a transverseaperture 3 and at its opposite end with a securing-prong-t, preferablysomewhat narrower than the tag and terminating in a still narrower andsuitably-sharpened penetrating-blade or cutter 5. In preparing the 8otag for the trade it is preferably bent into approximately' U shape todefine side portions 6 and 7, upon which are stamped the identifyingcharacters, and which, as shown in the drawings, are intended to receivea portion of the animals ear between them. The securing-prong 4 is bentsubstantially at right angles to the side 7, from which it springs, andis disposed opposite the opening 3 to insure its passage therethroughwhen the Sides 9o of the tag are brought together by an obviousmanipulation of the marker-affixing tool,

as illustrated in the drawings.

The peculiar form of the securing-prong 4 constitutes an essentialfeature of our invention, and it will be noted that said prong is givena transverse curvature Which at its under or convex side imparts to it asmooth curved bearing-surface 8 and forms a pair of longitudinal ribs 9and 10 and an intermedi- Ioo ate longitudinal concavity or channel ll,the utility of which will appear more fully hereinafter. The ends of theribs 9 and 10 are sharpened to constitute cutting edges 12 and 13,forming eontinuations of the sharp edge of the blade 5, so that theincision made in the animals ear will be equal to the greatesttransverse dimensions ofthe securing-prong, which, as stated, isdesigned to be forced through the animalsear by the manipulation of theaiiixing-tool.. This provision for an incision coextensive with thetransverse dimensions of `the prong is essential, because otherwise theforcing ot the prong through the ear would effect the tearing of thelatter, which would obviously be exceedingly painful and would be likelyto induce infiammation prohibitive of the use of the marker. It Willfurther appear that the provision of the comparatively narrowcutting-blade 5 not only permits the ends of the ribs 9 and 10 to beutilized as cutting edges, but the ends of these ribs also constituteshoulders, which bear against the side 6 of the marker when the reducedend or blade 5 is passed through and upset behind said side, and it istherefore impossible to compress the marker to an injurious extent uponthe ear.

In applying` the tag it is placed between the jaws of the aifixing-tool,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and is retained by itsinherent resiliency, with the aperture 3 disposed opposite anupsetting-groove in one of the jaws. rlhe ear of the animal is now presented between the sides of the tag and the jaws of the aiiixing-toolare forced together. This operation will first cause the cutting bladeor end 5 of the retaining-prong to pierce the animals ear, andthecutting edges 12 and 13 will subsequently enlarge the incision to permitthe prong 4 to be forced through the ear without tearing the latter.After passing through the ear the reduced end 5 of the prong will passthrough the opening 3 in the side G of the tag and will upset againstthe outer face of the tag at the lower side of the aperture 3-that is tosay, at that side opposite the channel or concavity ll.

Inasmuch as the opening 3 is made considerably wider than the reducedend 5, the

y channel l1 along the upper or outer face of the prong will open at oneend through the aperture 3 behind the upset end 5, and as the shouldersformed by the ends of the ribs 8 and 9 abut against the inner face ofthe side 6 the tag will be retained in position upon the ear of theanimal and will be provided with a Yduct-to wit, the channel 11-for theescape of the exudation of the wound and for the free circulation of airto prevent heating and festering of the latter.

From the foregoing it will be observed that we have invented a simple,inexpensive, and eiicient marking-tag which may be applied in acomparatively painless mannerand which when so applied will beV securelyretained against accidental displacement; but while the embodiment ofthe invention herein illustrated is perhaps preferable it is evidentthat the general design of the tag may be varied in accordance with thedesires of the individual user, and We therefore reserve the right toeffect such variations as may fall properly within the scope of theprotection prayed.

'What we claim is l. A cattle-tag provided with an opening and with asecuring-prong having ribs at its opposite sides, the end of said prongbeyond the ribs constituting a cutting-blade, and the ends of the ribsforming continuations of the cutting edge of saidv blade.

2. A cattle-tag provided with an opening` and with a securing prongtransversely curved to define ribs at opposite sides of the prong andhaving a reduced extremity constituting a cutting-blade, the ends oftheribs constituting continuar-ions of the cutting edge of said blade,whereby the incision in the animals ear will be equal to the greatesttransverse dimensions of the prong.

3. A cattle-tag constructed from a single piece ot' metal and bent intosubstantially U shape to define opposed side portions, one of which isprovided with an aperture adjacent to its end, anda securing-prongextendint,r at right angles to the end of theother side of the tag andhaving a transverse cur vature delining parallel ribs having sharpenedend edges constituting shoulders, said prong being provided with areduced end constituting a cuttingblade and designed to be passedthrough the opening in the tag and upset against the outer face of thelatter, the transverse curvature of the prong serving to define a ductor channel permitting the escape of eXudations from the earof theanimal.

4:. A cattle-tag comprising two opposed side portions one of which isprovided with an opening and a securing-prong disposed in angularrelation to the other side portion opposite the opening, said prongbeing transversely curved and having a reduced eXtremity constituting acutting-blade designed to make an incision in the ear of the animal forthe reception of the prong and to be subsequently passed through andupset behind the opposed side portion of the tag.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have hereto axedour signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ABNER F. CALLISON. WILLIAM S. BING.

Witnesses:

VIRGE P. HIsKnY, J. M. HAMILTON.

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